One thing you can say about Google is that they just keep on coming with new ideas and innovation.
Earlier this week, there was news about Google’s plans to digitize the libraries of five of the world’s most important academic institutions.
Now there’s Google Print:
To use Google Print, just do an ordinary Google search. For example, when you search on “Books about Ecuador Trekking” or “Romeo and Juliet,” and we find a book that contains content that matches your search terms, we’ll show links to that book at the top of your search results. Click on the book title and you’ll see the page of the book that contains your search terms, as well as other information about the book. You can also search for other topics within the book. Click “Buy this Book” and you’ll go straight to an online bookstore selling it. If the book was scanned from a library, click the library link to find a local library that has it.
Although it’s in beta (isn’t everything!), it worked seamlessly when I tried it with a book search. The results page showed the book I was looking for at the top of the list; clicking the link took me straight to the book at Amazon.co.uk and logged me in to my own Amazon account.
This just makes it so easy to complete the full transaction: look > find > buy. It must be strong competition for Amazon’s A9 search offering which also links you to your Amazon account if you have one.
Visit Google Print for detailed information.